Jeanfield & Wellshill Cemetery ~ First World War War Graves

There are around 170,000 Commonwealth war graves in the UK, 20,000 north of the border.

Burials from First World War are to be found across the cemetery.

‘The practice of non-repatriation, established during the First World War, meant that commonwealth personnel were buried or cremated where they fell. Those who are commemorated in the UK died at home or in hospital from their wounds, sickness or disease; in training accidents and air raids or were killed in the air or sea and their bodies washed ashore.’ Some 125,000 Scots were killed in World War I; some estimates put this figure as high as 145,000. This is out of an overall UK total of c750,000.

James Gowans Private d. 6/6/1917 Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders Depot ‘Who after a brilliant course in engineering at King’s College London enlisted at the outbreak of the Great War into the 14th Battalion Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders was wounded and transferred to the 2nd Battalion 93rd was again wounded during a night attack on German lines dying a few days later in Tooting Hospital London’P1 G 2211

John Kerrigan Private d. 24/3/1918 Black Watch (Royal Highlanders) 8th Battalion Killed in Action France ‘He also served in the Scottish Horse during the South African War and was wounded at Moedwi 30/9/1901’

Archibald William Buchanan Miller Lieutenant d. 13/7/1917 age 21 1st Battalion King’s Own Scottish Borderers, attached to the Royal Air Force Killed in Action over Gheluvelt, Belgium. Same Plot as brother below.